“Alone we can do so little, together we can do much” – Helen Keller

No matter how talented you are as an entrepreneur, truth be told, you can’t grow your business alone; you need a team- even the most successful companies today hire teams to further expand and grow their business.  

Managing your team requires organizational, interpersonal and technical skills. Here are five tips to help you manage your team effectively:

1. Share your vision for the business
As a leader, your job is to keep your team aligned with the vision of the business.  They should understand the importance of their role in fulfilling the company’s vision.  They should know why they are working for the company so that you can drive them to join you in accomplishing the business goals together.

You can do this by doing a weekly or daily huddle to remind them of their significant role in the company. Do this at the beginning of the day so that they are inspired and motivated to give their best throughout the week.

2. Set an example
If you want your team to step up, you need to do the same. Effective leaders lead by examples. Make sure you too are following the rules that you set for your team. For example, if you implement a rule of “not using social media at work,” and you break it, what impact do you think it will have on your team members? Of course, they’d feel discouraged seeing you break the rule and it might become difficult for you to establish a certain discipline for your employees in the future.

3. Evaluate their performance
Giving your team members regular feedback about their performance allows them to realize their strengths and weaknesses. It will help them focus in the area that needs improvement.  You can also take this opportunity to share your expectations from them as the leader of the team.

4. Celebrate small and big wins together
When your team manages to accomplish a goal, no matter how big or small it is, you should celebrate it together. This is also one way to build rapport and to improve the working relationship of the team.

5. Recognize and reward your team
Recognize the member or the group itself for doing exceptional work. Reward them so they’d feel more motivated to accomplish their task and to work as a team.

6. Listen to their suggestions and concerns
People do not like a close-minded leader. Allow your team members to share their suggestions, ideas, and concerns. Give them the time to speak up and listen to them. Ask questions when you don’t understand their points and discuss if the ideas shared by your team members are worthy of exploring and implementing, - assuring that everyone’s ideas, suggestions, and concerns is heard. 

How do you manage your team? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!